After a year without any semblance of normal, business owners in Christiansburg, VA, grew humorously restless. The now nation-wide “Sign Wars” started with a spontaneous message carefully added to a very normal, changeable monument sign outside a music store. “Hey Super Shoes! Wanna start a sign war?” wrote Jim Bohon, a music instructor at Bridge Kaldro Music located in downtown Christiansburg.  With a shoutout like that, Super Shoes had to respond: “Hey Bridge Kaldro! Our shoestrings are stronger than your guitar strings!” they taunted back.  And just like that, the sign war was on!

Signarama Enlists in Sign Wars

As business after business including pharmacies, funeral homes, dental offices, and churches started to add fuel to the Sign War, our very own Signarama in Christiansburg, VA, jumped right. Kevin and his team’s sole purpose: equipping his community with signs so they too could participate in the fun. Some businesses made makeshift signs to show their support while others converted their signs to changeable message board signs or LED signs so they could challenge their neighbor business to a Sign War. From poster boards to yard signs and even window and car art, if it could send a message, they were used.  Signarama Christiansburg also participated by posting some clever signs outside of the store, advertising that they had available “amo” for the war. This was a great way to be able to get the whole community involved, even if they didn’t have their own signs. With the sign war rapidly spreading, Signarama Elizabethtown, KY, also joined the battle with their own signs, fueling the war through their town and encouraging others to participate.  

Nationwide Participation

With the spreading growth of the sign wars, neighboring towns and states started getting involved.  It was every business for themselves!  The cross-country battle began when Trevor Cork, owner of an auto glass shop in Listowel, decided to start one in his own community.  As the war spread like wildfire, a community Facebook page was created to monitor and track the progress of the sign wars.  Starting off with 2,000 members it quickly grew to over 30K as more and more towns started joining the friendly sign war.  The page now has followers from all over the globe reaching places like Australia, the UK, Ireland and many more.  The Facebook page allows individuals from all over to display the signs their town has been battling with. It’s a great way to keep track of all the activity happening and gives others an inside look into the sign wars! Check out the Facebook page Christiansburg, VA Sign War to see all the clever signs people are creating and to follow the rapidly growing war.  Multiple news stations picked up the story and from there, you could say the rest is history.  The sign wars continues to spread across state lines and has even migrated into parts of Canada. 

This friendly war has been great exposure for the businesses involved and for their communities.  Local businesses have stated they have seen an increase in sales and store visits because of their participation.  Signs are a great way to attract new customers, but they can also be a fun way to get involved in your community and get to know the businesses around you! 

Start Your Own Sign War

Looking to join the fun, but don’t know where to start? You are going to need a sign, and Signarama has you covered.  If updating a message board sign digitally or by hand with letters isn’t possible, consider something more affordable and portable like a yard sign or a-frame sign.  Yard signs are the most budget-friendly option if you want to dip your toes into the war or ride the winds of an existing war in your town.  Our yard signs are easy to install and have a fast turnaround time, so you can be taunting your neighbors as soon as the next day!  If you are looking to temporarily use an existing sign, we can print a banner to display your message while hanging outside your business. We offer a variety of colors and styles, making sure your message stands out!  We can even create the design for you, if you don’t have graphic design skills within reach. Your local Signarama would love to bring your playful vision to life and help you start a sign war in your community!